Standing vs Sitting

Standing vs Sitting

With the latest technology, on one hand we are connected every minute with each other and are expected to be responsive and available 24/7. We often find ourselves checking messages, emails, listening to music, or shopping online for not just minutes but for multiple hours. These habits lead us to unconsciously sit for long periods of time. We live in an age of sedentary lifestyle. Working long hours on a device is not only harmful to the eyes but also to the rest of the body. Some of the reasons include bad posture, elbows away from the body for long intervals, and continuous pressure on the neck and back. 

Sitting for long periods can increase risk of obesity, a bad back, increased stress levels, weight gain and other medical issues. At Cornell University Department of Ergonomics, researchers found that up to 90% more pressure is applied to your lower back when you sit versus when you stand. Additionally, muscles burn less fat and blood flow becomes sluggish. This is why medical professionals say that sitting for long hours is just as dangerous as smoking. Exercise can be one of the options to alleviate some of these harmful effects of sitting, but in itself it is not enough of a cure to counteract the effect of hours of chair time.

Let’s look at some other options you can incorporate into your daily life:

·      A standing desk

o   Can you believe, that if you stand for 3 hours per day, five days per week, it adds up to 750 calories burned? In a year that adds up to 30,000 calories, which is almost 9 pounds. This is the equivalent of around 10 marathons per year.

·      Have a regular break, even if it is for just 10 minutes

·      Put an alarm or a reminder in your phone for every two hours to do chair yoga, or to go outside and take a break  

·      Use an exercise ball to sit on instead of using a chair

·      Connect with the earth by walking in the grass if that is a feasible option

Gavin Bradley, director of Active Working says: “Metabolism slows down 90 percent after 30 minutes of sitting. The enzymes that move the bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned off, slow down. The muscles in your lower body are turned off. And after two hours, good cholesterol drops 20 percent. Just getting up for five minutes is going to get things going again. These things are so simple they’re almost stupid.” 

Extra Citations:

    Agarwal, Sonal. “Sitting Is the New Smoking.” Welcome to Shree Bharatimaiya College of Optometry & Physiotherapy. Accessed December 16, 2019. https://physiotherapy.sbmcollege.org/pages/sitting-is-the-new-smoking/.

  Kost, Jon, Aaron, Chan, Matt, Dave Preacher, Jeremy, Bessie, et al. “Sitting Is the New Smoking.” Start Standing, April 3, 2018. https://www.startstanding.org/sitting-new-smoking/#para3.